SOMERSET -- IT was girls' night out. We were halfway to Sophie's Bistro and deep into the pros, cons and in-betweens of the subject of the moment, when my friend took her eyes off the road for a moment to look at me. She had been dreaming, she said, of the bistro's coq au vin since the last visit there. Immediately I was right there with her,
thinking about that falling-off-the-bone, slow-cooked chicken with sweet onions, carrots and mushrooms, each bite rich with garlic and thyme and balanced by white wine, lemon juice and cream.

That's the effect of Sophie's. You're going along, living your life, and suddenly you're craving that chicken, or a slice of tomato pie, or a mountain of mussels in buttery, garlicky white wine sauce, with plenty of bread for sopping.

This unfussy, reasonably priced restaurant occupies the street side of a low-slung building saved from dreariness by huge windows that fold against the wall to make you one with the trees on the street. The bar, with its blue wall of liquor cubbies, is prominent in the first of two dining rooms; its low-key buzz makes it an inviting spot for a brief wait. 

David Fordjour, 34, has cooked at the 80-seat bistro since it opened two years ago. Mr. Fordjour, who arrived via the Southeast London College culinary program, says he learned French techniques during a stint at the London Marriott, whose executive chef was interested in French food. He moved to the United States when a friend offered him a job at a Mediterranean restaurant on Long Island. He and Peter Mack, the owner, developed the menu with Mr. Mack's wife, Susannah Mack, a longtime caterer.

The mussels, the chicken and a few other dishes nicely complement the bistro's mostly French wine list, as do the appetizers listed on a succinct two-page menu, with house standards on one page and specials
on the other. Favorites included the tomato tart, a devilishly simple concoction of pie shell, Dijon mustard, shallots and lightly oven-dried fresh tomato slices, as well as the classic onion soup and a rich and creamy blend of salmon, calamari, sea scallops and shrimp served in a puff pastry shell. Poached eggs received unusual treatment with the addition of chocolate to a typical red wine sauce.

Basic salads were satisfying, but a celery salad of tender tips and hearts dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and shards of
Parmesan was inspired. Snails, however, were consistently mediocre. Instead of garlic butter
sauce that begs for bread after the escargots are long gone, there was a sticky garlic paste. The country pâté was unremarkable on one visit, and on another had an aftertaste of the cellar.

Flavors generally are well balanced in main dishes - especially the coq au vin and the coquilles Saint-Jacques, succulent scallops enveloped in cream sauce, white wine and shallots. Other favorites included the mild fillets of sole baked in paper, the pork loin, the duck breast in black raspberry sauce and the salade niçoise with its slices of rare tuna.

Mr. Fordjour is skillful with fish and seafood; every piece I tried was perfectly prepared. But the steaks, whether au poivre or with addictively thin and salty French fries, were routinely overcooked. And in several instances, sauces' sweetness overwhelmed the meats.

Cassoulet is a special of the house on Saturdays, though Mr. Fordjour breaks with the recipe and makes it with garlic sausage, leaving out the mutton, pork and lard. Though my serving was dry, the mix of beans and meat was soulfully satisfying, and then Mr. Mack swept in, noticed the dryness and swept the dish back to the kitchen. In moments, a fresh version appeared, with the dryness repaired but with too much fat. I'll try it again next time; this dish could be a contender.

Side dishes, a selection of seasonal specials, give Mr. Fordjour another chance to shine: the fresh spinach in garlic and oil was so delectable that we were disappointed when it was gone. Standout house-made desserts include crème brûlée and chocolate Sophie,
a cake honoring the family friend for whom the restaurant is named -- a chef who spent her career in rural French kitchens.

Mr. & Mrs. Mack have created an affordable, casual neighborhood French bistro here. With careful attention to detail, the coq au vin will be only one of many dishes with the power to stop conversation.